A Tale of Silver and Gold
by deforestasian
Summary: The son of Tessa and Jem and the daughter of Clary and Jace could be fated for only two things: Love, and disaster
1. Prologue

**August 17****th****, 2016**

Jem stood outside the room, pacing with agitation as he listened to the labored breathing resonating throughout the LA institute.

_Is she all right?_ He wondered nervously, vaguely remembering from long ago in his silent brother days, the difficult births of Will's children. He longed with every fiber of his being to go into the room and comfort her, to hold her hand like he had done back then, to urge her to push harder, to breathe more.

But as this birth was bringing his child into the world, by law, only silent brothers could be present.

And as he was no longer a brother, he was left outside to wonder about how Tessa was faring. The suspense was killing him.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream, and then: silence.

Jem held his breath for a solid minute before a loud cry pierced the heavy silence. He gulped in air, relief filling his lungs. He had hardly noticed his lack of oxygen, his nervousness overwhelming his body.

"Tessa!" He shouted, running to the door. It opened to him and he rushed into the small birthing room. He beheld a single bed against the back wall, a brown haired figure slumped amid the sheets. Brother Enoch, his pale bone colored robes nearly blending in with the white walls, placed a hand on his arm.

_She is well. Both her and the child._

Jem had the faintest sense that Brother Enoch was smiling, if he could have smiled. So he smiled warmly back at him, grateful for the good news. He ran to the bed where Tessa lay, falling to his knees at her bedside. Her long brown hair was strewn across the pillow, matted with sweat, and her face was strained with tiredness, but Jem felt she had never looked more beautiful. In her arms she held a small, well swaddled bundle with dark hair peeping out of the blue blanket.

"Jem," Tessa whispered, exhaustion tinging her sweet voice. "Meet Liam, your son."

At those words, Jem smiled so widely Tessa worried his face might break. She had only seen him look so ecstatic three times before: one, when she had agreed to marry him in London, two, when she had taken him with her after his time with the silent brothers had ended, and three, when she had said "I do" to him nearly 7 years ago at Blackfriars bridge.

"May I…?" His voice trailed off with uncertainty as he reached out for Liam. Tessa smiled and handed him over.

"Liam." Jem whispered, almost reverently.

"Short for William." Tessa softly replied. Jem gave a sharp intake of breath and a single tear rolled down the rune scar on his high cheekbones.

"A fitting name." He murmured, watching as baby Liam opened dark lashed eyes to gaze upon his father alertly. His eyes were the Tessa's gray, but flecked with brighter shades of silver, the way Jem's had once been. Jem looked steadily into his son's eyes as he quietly spoke. "Bright eyes and black hair. Like his namesake. He will be a great shadowhunter."

Tears stung Tessa's eyes as she watched her husband gaze at their son in wonder. "Jem…" She began. His now dark brown eyes snapped up to meet hers. They were filled with joy and awe. "I love you."

Jem hugged Liam a little closer to himself as he sat near Tessa on the bed.

"I love you too. I've never been more proud." Tessa grinned, but her eyes were tired. "But for now, sleep, my love. Birthing is hard work. Sleep while you can." He placed his long fingers to her lips and traced them gently. "You will be a fine mother."

"And you will be a wonderful father." Tessa murmured, her eyes drooping with exhaustion.

Jem sat holding Liam, remembering Will, and thinking of the future.

**December 10****th****, 2019**

"JACE! JACE I HATE YOU!"

Jace was standing outside the door of the birthing room in the New York Institute, listening to Clary scream through the door at him.

"HOW DARE YOU PUT ME IN SUCH PAIN."

"CLARY, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY YOU WERE QUITE PLEASED TO BE PUT IN THIS STATE" Jace shouted back at her.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes as Jace continued to have high volume conversations with Clary.

"Only you would have such a conversation during labor." She muttered, remembering how quiet Clary's birth had been, and how loud her cries had echoed.

"JACE!" Clary shrieked, her scream reaching a note Jace had yet to hear.

Then: silence.

Jace, who had been unsuccessfully trying to peek through the keyhole, suddenly stiffened as a child's cry echoed throughout the institute. As soon as the sound faded away, however, he was on his feet, pounding mercilessly on the door.

"BROTHER ENOCH! I heard the child! The birth is over! LET ME IN!"

A soft click, and the door opened. Jocelyn nearly giggled as she heard his echoing mind voice. If he could have made an exasperated face, she was sure he would have. Jace could try the patience of saints.

_Clary is fine. You may see her and the child now. _

Jace ran into the room, nearly pushing Brother Enoch out of the way. Jocelyn followed him at a distance, but did not approach the bed. She merely sat and watched along with Brother Enoch.

"Clary!" Her red hair was falling out of its ties, curls going everywhere. She smiled brightly at him, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow.

"Jace, I fully blame you for this." She pretended to look stern, but then laughed softly as she cradled a white swaddled bundle in her arms.

"I take all responsibility." Jace replied, sitting gingerly at her side. He tentatively reached out and placed his long fingers on the small bundle. "Boy? Or girl?" He whispered, his gold eyes uncertain.

"Girl." Clary beamed, adjusting the blanket so Jace could see their little girl. Her soft tuft of blonde hair flopped gently as it was freed from its swaddle. "Seraphine. It means burning fire. Take one look at her eyes and you'll see." She whispered.

"Seraphine?" Jace called quietly. The baby stirred slightly, opening large eyes to reveal their color.

Jace let out his breath in a rush.

"Do you see her?" Clary's green eyes sparkled as she watched Jace. "She's beautiful."

Seraphine's eyes were gold, like Jace's but yet not like his at the same time. They seemed to reflect the light, or to glow with light from within.

"She will be our heavenly fire. It has been a while since we had to deal with that, right?" Jace chuckled as he thought back to the times he and Clary had struggled with combustion issues.

"Of course, of course." Clary lay her head back on the pillow. Jace took Seraphine from her, smiling from ear to ear.

"She is beautiful, Clary. I can see her beauty in you." Clary smiled, but exhaustion kept her eyes closed. Jace hummed a lullaby as she drifted to sleep.

Jocelyn watched their exchange from the corner, and smiled. They deserved all the happiness in the world.


	2. Of Violins and New Arrivals

June 23, 2022

An awful screech split the peaceful silence of the June afternoon.

"No, Liam, like this." Jem, with his seemingly infinite patience, repositioned Liam's fingers on the violin bow. He gently pulled his son's fingers with his own, letting the bow sing sweetly. "Now you try."

Liam's pale skin puckered as he bent his eyebrows in concentration. A slow pull, and music sounded. His silver gray eyes lit up.

"I did it! Dad, did you hear?" He chattered excitedly. Jem returned his happiness with a bright smile.

"Good, very good, my son." He tapped the bow lightly. "What note was that?"

"G!" Liam answered proudly. Jem nodded his approval.

"All right, that was G. Can you play the scale?" Tessa watched as Jem hovered over their six year old Liam. She held little Elka, their youngest, slumbering peacefully in her arms. It had been a lovely six years for Liam. She admired his spirit, a brightness not unlike Will's, but tempered with her and Jem's patience.

"Mama, look!" He came over to her and proudly began to sound out the G Major scale. Tessa smiled.

"Liam, your practice has paid off. I'm very proud. Soon you will be just as good as your father."

Jem smiled and ruffled Liam's dark, nearly black hair. "Ten more minutes, all right? Then you're done for today and we can do a bit of training."

"Okay!"

Liam was a slender boy, with wide eyes like Tessa and protruding cheekbones like Jem. He was very dedicated, practicing his violin every day with Jem without complaint. Tessa loved to watch them together, whether they were practicing with the violin or training for combat. Liam wasn't quite old enough to do group training yet, so Jem continued to work with him. Soon, however, he would join the other children of the LA institute.

Sometimes Tessa wondered if he would choose a _parabatai_. He seemed to be a solitary thing, even if he did not lack social skills. _Only time will tell. _She thought, as she always did.

"Brother Zachariah?" Emma, with her blonde hair tied tightly in a ponytail, came running down the stairs into the hall where Jem was. "When can I have a word?"

"Five minutes, unless it is urgent." He replied, then paused. "And Emma, you know I am no longer a brother."

"I know. I'll come back in five minutes, Uncle Jem." Half of the time, Emma called Jem "Brother Zachariah." Jem figured it was affectionate, or she was trying to annoy him, or both most likely. He thought back to his rather faulty explanation of his relation to her, halfway his first year at the LA institute.

He had taken her aside one day, one day he was sure he was ready to face who he really was. He looked nervously at Tessa, who patted his shoulder reassuringly, and he began to speak.

"Emma Carstairs. Do you know who I am?"

"You're Brother Zachariah, but you're not a brother anymore." She blinked confusedly at him.

"I was Brother Zachariah. You may call me Jem. Uncle Jem."

"U—uncle? But I thought I was the last of the Carstairs?" She muttered.

"That is because I have not been a Carstairs man for over a hundred years."

In a hurried speech, he had described everything to Emma, his addiction, the Magister, his near death and transformation into Brother Zachariah, and his re-emergence into life as Jem from the heavenly fire. Emma listened with rapt attention, and he watched her put all the pieces together. When he saw in her eyes that those pieces fit perfectly, he tentatively reached out an arm to her.

"Emma, I will be Uncle to you, if that is acceptable."

She smiled, eyes full of tears.

"All this time, I have had nothing, and now, now I have you. Of course you can be Uncle to me. I would have it no other way."

Jem was brought back to the present and out of his memories by an errant note in Liam's scale. He could see the frustration growing in his son's bright eyes, and so he went to him.

"Liam, you can rest for today. We'll work on the D scale tomorrow. Can you go to Mama and see if she needs any help with Elka or Marielle?" Liam was always a good older brother to his little sisters. He nodded his agreement and began to scamper off.

"Liam!" Jem called. "Where does the violin go?" And Liam trudged over, picked it up, then scampered off again.

"All right, Emma?" Jem looked to see her at the end of the hall. She was older now, nearly 27, but she still had all the energy of the child he had first met. "What's happening?"

"There's been a new arrival." Her eyes flitted around nervously. "It's a little…unorthodox."

"Unorthodox? How so?" Jem thought himself fairly well-versed in unorthodox, his life being the main example.

"I don't know how he got here, and…I can't understand him. He's quite young. I found him at the portal." Jem creased his forehead with worry. "Let me show you. Follow me." Emma turned and walked briskly away, Jem at her heels.

They entered a little side room, where inside stood a small, dirty, barefoot chinese boy. He was thin, with a pinched face from hunger and his almond shaped eyes were tired.

"Ni shi shei?" He spoke in mandarin, and only to Jem.

Jem translated. "Who are you?"

"Wo jiao Jem." I am Jem. "Ni jiao shenme ming zi?" What is your name?

"I—I am Kai." His voice was clear, although his English was broken. Jem spoke to him in Mandarin, only to find how little Kai knew of himself and why he was in LA.

All he could salvage was that Kai had been in the Beijing Institute when something had gone wrong. Someone had placed him in a portal and sent him to LA.

"Emma, contact the Beijing Institute immediately. They might be in danger." She hurried out of the room, leaving Jem with Kai.

"Kai, come with me. I will introduce you to my son, Liam. He could use a friend as much as you can. Don't worry, you'll be safe here."

Emma returned, her face worried.

"There's no trouble in Beijing. In fact, no one there has even heard of Kai."

"He's too young to lie that well. Someone must have lied to him."

"Perhaps there's another portal? The Beijing shadowhunters told me the portal had not been used in over a month."

"Kai?" Kai turned. Jem asked him in Mandarin, "Who are your parents?"

"Wo bu zi dao." I do not know.

Jem sighed. "Let me take him to Tessa, perhaps she will be able to help. But he can stay here. I'll care for him. Liam could use a friend."

**A/N: Hope you guys like it! And please, leave reviews, suggestions, comments, wishes for future plots/characters/etc, or anything really, in that little box below! I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as possible!**


	3. Of Throwing Knives and Retorts

**November 10th, 2031**

At thirteen years of age, Seraphine was a bundle of brown streaked blonde hair, golden eyes, and tanned skin. Clary sometimes looked at her in wonder, at her endless energy, competitive nature, and at her gorgeousness. Even in the middle of puberty, Seraphine was beautiful. It made Clary worry about the boys that would soon look her way.

_Thud. _The ornately carved knife embedded itself deep in the center of the target.

But then again, Seraphine was the best knife thrower anyone had ever seen, including Jace. And Jace was a fantastic shadowhunter, so for him to say that, well, that was phenomenal.

Clary was pretty sure Seraphine would be able to defend herself. Jace had seen to that.

As she walked up to Jace and placed his long fingers among her own, Clary looked around Alicante. It had been many years since she had been here, but as Seraphine would be starting her later trainings, it was time for her to see the main Institute. So far, however, Seraphine had refused to go anywhere until she had practiced extensively in the practice room. If anyone was dedicated, it was her. Competition was second nature to her. As she was Jace's daughter, Clary was not surprised in the least.

"Sera?" Jace called. "We are going for a walk. Remember, you need to be ready for dinner by six. And that means ready, not getting ready."

Seraphine resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at her father.

"Dad! You have so little faith in me!" She complained. "Of course I'll be ready!"

"That's what you said last time." Jace remarked dryly. "Remember how that turned out?" Seraphine blushed slightly as Jace continued. "If my mind remembers correctly, there were six fights, two broken ribs, a good amount of stitches, a ruined tablecloth, and a pair of snapped high heels."

"And a two week punishment of helping Uncle Magnus brush, AND BATHE, Chairman Meow." She muttered.

"One of my finer punishments." Jace smiled crookedly. "But yes, six o'clock. Sharp. I mean it, Seraphine."

"All right, all right. I'll be ready." She turned back to the targets.

And with that, Clary and Jace stepped out of the training room and into the cobblestone streets of Idris.

"She's going to be late, isn't she?" Clary whispered.

"I'll just have to top last time's punishment then." He grinned. "She'll need to learn some punctuality eventually, though."

Seraphine continued throwing various blades at the targets until she heard male voices approaching the practice room.

"Liam, what do you think of-" A tall Asian boy and a silver eyed boy entered the room. The Asian boy stopped talking as he saw Seraphine.

"Well, what do we have here?" He smirked. "Looks like someone's been throwing knives." He poked the other boy, Liam, Seraphine assumed. She saw the gleam of fresh competition in their eyes. _Boys._ Seraphine welcomed the competition.

"Are you any good?"

"They tell me I'm the best." Liam smiled at her confidence.

"Fancy a challenge?" He asked.

"You won't win." She retorted.

"What are you, ten?" Kai, always the one to speak exactly what he thought, butted in.

"I'm thirteen, thank you very much. And who do you think you are, anyways? Is this how you pick up girls, you insinuate they're babies and can't throw knives? Because I'll have you know, I'm no baby." Seraphine had always had a sharp tongue. It often landed her in fights.

Liam was surprised at her quick retorts.

"I'm Liam Carstairs, and this is Kai."

"Kai-"

"Just Kai." Kai's voice held a warning. _Don't ask._ Fortunately Seraphine was intuitive and did not press the issue.

"Well, Liam, Kai, stand next to me. I'll show you how knives are thrown."

She tossed the knife in her hand. It landed dead center. Two more, and she had made a triangle. Three more knives, and she made a star.

"It's one thing to hit the center of the target. It's another to hit the target and make what you will." The boys stood, speechless. Finally, Liam spoke.

"Are you as good with other weapons as you are with your aim? How 'bout without them?"

"Try me." Seraphine challenged him. Kai smirked. He and Liam were two of the best trainees . This girl didn't stand a chance.

"No weapons, then. Hand to hand combat." Kai proclaimed. "Let's see what they teach you in-which institute?"

"New York. I'm Seraphine Herondale. Remember that name when you're begging me for mercy."

They circled each other, ready to start a fight.


	4. Of Brawls and Other Things

Seraphine warily looked over Liam as they slowly circled each other. He was tall and slender, with muscles like wires rather than bunches. His pale skin held a hint of gold to it, but was lighter than hers. She noted long slender fingers, calloused in many places, more so on the left hand. He was leggy and gangly, putting her at a disadvantage. He would be able to reach her better than she could.

At the other side, Liam also looked over Seraphine. She was quite petite, with long blonde hair streaked with brown. He would have to watch out, she could definitely whip him with hair that length. Experience had taught him well. Isabelle and Simon's daughter, Lilah, had hair down to her waist and was not against using it. She took a few steps and he could easily see her inexperience. It figured, normally thirteen was when sparring training began. She could have only been at it a few months. He, on the other hand, had been sparring with Kai since they first met. _This will be a piece of cake. _Liam didn't really enjoy fighting, and rather preferred his violin, but he and Kai felt obligated to retain their reputation as the best trainees. So he always made his fights quick, to prevent either of them from getting injured while still upholding his reputation. This one didn't look like it would be any different.

She jabbed out with a punch, but he easily dodged it.

_Oh, so you're fast, are you?_ Seraphine was dismayed.

Another jab, another miss. Yes, he was very quick, and could anticipate her moves better than anyone she had ever fought before. She noted Kai out of the corner of her eyes. He was watching intensely, calculating their every move. As Liam lunged for her, she saw the faded mark of a yet to be made parabatai rune near his collarbones.

_He must be in Alicante for the parabatai ceremony. Looks like he and Kai are about to undergo it. No wonder, he's been sparring for longer than I have. Kai must be good at sparring. _

Just one look at Kai's calculating face and Seraphine knew he was a strategist. Together the two of them must have been the best in their institute. Vaguely she recalled hearing about a soon to be parabatai pair, excellent sparring partners. What had she gotten herself into?

"What institute are you from?" She grunted, hoping to distract him from beating her quickly.

"Los Angeles." He responded without missing a beat. Talking didn't faze him. She sighed inwardly.

Seraphine did not have much experience sparring with those older than her. She had just begun sparring training, unlike her learning to throw. But she had to try and get an advantage over Liam. It wasn't over just yet.

She feinted right, then kicked out roughly with her left foot. But instead of making harsh contact like she had expected, she found her other leg taken out from under her. She was abruptly dumped on the floor, and none too gently. She scampered away from Liam, who leapt at her and pinned her to the ground.

"You're not as good as you say, little girl." He grinned roughly, pushing her wrists into the floor, legs straddling hers. Seraphine's breathing increased rapidly, a feeling of electricity clashing with her disappointment of losing. She had never been so close to a boy before, as Jace was fiercely protective.

"Called my bluff, did you?" Seraphine knew she wasn't as good with hand to hand combat as she was with throwing knives, but she wasn't half bad, either. She opened her mouth to make another scathing retort, when a shout tore the air.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Jace's voice thundered throughout the practice room. "I LEAVE YOU FOR TEN MINUTES AND COME BACK TO FIND YOU UNDER THE LEGS OF A BOY?"

"Jace, I'm sure you're overreacting." Clary tugged gently at his sleeve, but to no avail. Jace had lost it, as usual. He shook off Clary's hand and ran over to Seraphine, tugging her to her feet and pushing her behind him. Clary rolled her eyes. Sometimes Jace's protective streak ran too deep.

"Your name." It wasn't a request. Liam, at least had the decency to look slightly abashed, if not incredibly amused.

"Liam Carstairs. And nothing's happened. We were sparring." Jace grinned maniacally, smirking a bit.

"The Carstairs owe the Herondales." He whispered. He took a slow, deep breath, calming himself.

The world seemed to stop as Jace seemed to be deciding how to go about channeling his anger. But then he composed his features as Liam spoke.

"We. Were. Sparring." Liam punctuated each word with a sharp breath. Looking at Jace's slowly calming expression, then added a tentative, "…Sir?"

At that, Jace burst out laughing.

"Just sparring? Seraphine's not had much practice with sparring combat yet." He mused. "But rest assured, should I ever find you more than sparring with my daughter, things will go quite differently than today."

As far as threats went, this was pretty serious. But then again, Jace was ever the drama king. He scowled slightly at Liam as he beckoned Seraphine to go stand with Clary.

"Jem is your father, is he not?" Liam nodded, slowly.

"Tell him to come to dinner tomorrow, Tessa too. It's been a while since we've last met."

Liam's eyebrows nearly hit the roof. He was apparently uninformed of Jace and his relation to Tessa.

"We can't. Tomorrow, Kai and I are undergoing the parabatai ceremony tomorrow." At that, Jace absentmindedly traced his own parabatai rune.

"The next night then." Again, it wasn't a request. Clary stifled a giggle. She had a feeling Jace was going to try and matchmake them, because he then would be able to keep eyes on Seraphine. _The Carstairs owe the Herondales. _That wasn't exactly what Clary had in mind, but she couldn't say the same thing about Jace.

_Oh, Jace. _Clary shook her head internally.

"Seraphine?" You might as well start getting ready for the dinner tonight."

For once in her life, Seraphine went quietly away, but not before she shot daggers of hatred at Liam.

"Just you wait." She hissed at him as she passed by.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He murmured softly, a look of slight amusement and wonder as she strode away.

Jace scowled as he watched Liam look over his daughters retreating figure. _He won't be the only one looking at her, either. I should send her to a convent._

**_A/N I hope this matches expectations! I'll be getting into the real plot soon, so please leave suggestions, reviews, etc, in that little box below! Thanks for reading!_**


	5. Of Duets and Stubborn Girls

"No." Seraphine growled. "Under no conditions do I agree to this." She narrowed her burnt gold eyes at her parents. Clary and Jace sighed simultaneously. They had anticipated that she was going to be difficult.

"I know you're not fond of Liam, but the Clave needs a way into this venue." Clary's voice was calm, but a bit of irritation simmered beneath the surface.

"Then they can find someone else to do it. Someone willing." Stubborn was one way to describe Seraphine.

"You and Liam are the only ones who can do it." _Like I've said a million times so far. _Jace thought, irritated. They had been arguing about this for the last half hour and he was getting tired of her excuses. _If the Clave had asked me to jump, I would have said, "How high?". But my child..._

"Liam can enter the competition with Kai, then! I don't have to go! In fact, Kai should go because he's Liam's parabatai."

"They only want piano or violin duets. Kai can't go in there with his drums, they won't have it."

"Use a persuasion rune, then!"

"For an event on mundane national television?" Jace replied dryly. "Sera, you know those runes won't work on those watching via television."

"These demons, either they're getting smarter, or someone's directing their movements, causing the attacks to be difficult to predict, more public, harder to prevent. And they're growing more frequent. It is the Clave's responsibility to find out what's going on. You know that. And based on previous evidence and current theory, upcoming music competitions seem to be the target, and the next one is in two months' time. It's a classical competition, for pianists and string musicians, and you and Liam are the only ones with enough classical music and fighting training expertise to infiltrate and provide the Clave with the information they need. We need to get to the bottom of this. You understand, yes?" Clary was quite persuasive, but Seraphine was as stubborn, if not more so, than Jace.

"You're sure it can't be anyone else?"

"This particular competition is for young adults, ages 17 to 22. And as you know, those are prime ages for demons to prey upon, all that life, all that vigor. You're 17 and Liam's 19, and you are both classical musicians. You won't stand out, so you both can get what we need.

"This isn't a request, is it?" Seraphine remarked without amusement. "But why can't Liam go solo, surely it's not a duet competition."

"You would send a Shadowhunter into the mundane world to hunt demons alone?" Jace raised an eyebrow, giving a disapproving look. "You were taught better than to expect that."

"I know…" She muttered, a surly expression on her dainty face.

"It is better to go in as a duet pair, so you can each be safe and you can be seen together. Two in the lion's den is better than one. Plus, Jem Carstairs has been dying for you two to play a duet together. The guy's over a hundred and fifty years old, surely you could set aside your differences for two short months."

"You won't even really have to talk to him. Just play the damned music and complete the mission. It's simple." Jace did have a way with words.

"Sera, it will go better for you if you just agree and go along with it. It is an honor to be picked for such a mission, and it will do you no good to disrespect the Clave while you are so young. They are not forgiving, you know that."

"Fine." Seraphine muttered darkly."Fine."

"Good, you've already been entered into the competition with Liam as your partner. You'll need to pack, we're sending you to the Los Angeles Institute to learn and practice the duet with Liam. No dawdling, either. We've arranged for the portal to be opened tomorrow at nine. You'll have a month and a half at the Institute to train before they send you to the hotel where the competition is taking place. Remember, this is a great honor to represent shadowhunter talent to the mundane world, even if they won't recognize you are a shadowhunter. You will also need to be cautious, living among mundanes is not like living at the institute. But they will teach you before you immerse yourself in the mundane world. Now don't look at me like that, Seraphine. The world is not conspiring against you."

"You're telling me." She grumbled. "You're not the one who's packing up to leave tomorrow to go live with a boy you hate."

"No, but you're not having to deal with being seduced by your own blood brother while convinced the boy you love is your brother." Clary retorted lightly. Seraphine winced slightly, recognizing how selfish she was being. Her life was paradise compared to the craziness of her parents' past.

"All right, you've made your point. I'll go quietly."

_Even though I don't want though this could be just another way for Liam to humiliate me. _She thought, even though she knew it wasn't true. Liam and Seraphine, while the institutes they stayed at were not close, continued a sort of heavy rivalry no one could contest. Seraphine, highly competitive as she was, had never forgotten how easily Liam had landed her on the ground in their first sparring match, as well as many other rematches. While she was the best knife thrower of the trainees, she could not best Liam in sparring, even now. And she resented him for it. She wanted to be the best, like Jace had once been. But Liam was not to be underestimated. While he never seemed to be fully engaged in their rivalry, he single handedly beat her in every sparring match she threw at him. His easygoing manner infuriated her, as well as the way things seemed to come naturally to him.

Seraphine hated it.

She hated him for it.

And now, now she was to spend two months with him? To go to Los Angeles and practice with him everyday? How was she to deal with her failure standing right in front of her, every day, with a rosined bow and beautiful instrument? She didn't want to look into his silver eyes and know that her inability to be the best was due to the boy in front of her.

But she knew her duty. She was, first and foremost, a shadowhunter. And that meant she would do what was asked of her.

However, that didn't mean she was going to go down without a fight. Seraphine, as much as she hated Liam, never did anything by halves.

If they were going to enter a competition, then by the angel, they were going to win.

**A/N Thank you for reading! Please put reviews/comments/suggestions/new character ideas/names/etc into the hungry little box below! And follow/fave if you want :)**


	6. Of Portals and a Lack of Manners

Seraphine took a deep breath and stepped gingerly into the portal. Even though this was not her first time using one, the eerie feeling that came with its use never seemed to lessen with time.

It was akin to stepping into a bath, except the portal was exactly her skin temperature and came with the strange sensation of liquid without warmth. It was like stepping into the womb.

There was a tight squeezing sensation, and then it was done. New York was gone and Los Angeles stood in it's place, even if all portal rooms did look similar. She knew she had left her home behind, for in front of the portal stood one disgruntled looking Liam Carstairs.

"I was wondering if you were going to show." He muttered, narrowing silver flecked gray eyes at her.

"I am true to my word, if nothing else." She muttered in reply. "Even if this is a mission I didn't ask for."

"You're not the only one." Liam sighed. "But we all have our duties, don't we now..."

As his voice trailed off, Seraphine noticed with chagrin that Liam had grown even more handsome over the years. He now stood at nearly six feet tall, lanky like a ballet dancer, but she knew he was stronger than he appeared, with muscles like spiderwebs, strong as silk. His voice, when spoken softly, held a hint of romance to it, a lilt that spoke of his multilingual abilities. Seraphine had heard many a teen girl gush over this carstairs boy, and while he was her rival and now grudging comrade, she could not deny he was a fine male specimen.

"Here." Liam thrust a plain, shiny black folder into her one free hand. "Make sure you practice. I can't be carrying your dead weight in such a prestigious competition." She looked steadily at him as a glint shone in his silvery eyes. "I may not desire this mission, but by the angel, if I'm forced to enter this competition, I am sure going to win." At this, Seraphine chuckled, remembering how she had arrived at the exact same conclusion.

"For once, I agree with you." She replied, grabbing her suitcase from the floor. "But now, where am I staying? I am going to be here quite a while, you know. I think it'd be best for you to give me a tour. We both know what sort of ills can befall unsuspecting wanderers."

Flustered, Liam ran long fingers through his dark hair. Five minutes and she was already pestering and demanding of him.

I guess I'll just have to be equally demanding. He thought grimly.

Seraphine, in his opinion, was rather a handful. She was impudent, headstrong, highly competitive, and of course, she had enough creativity and beauty to get away with it. But Liam always felt exhausted after dealing with her.

"Well? I'm waiting." She tapped a foot impatiently, raising a well groomed eyebrow at him.

"Well, I'm waiting for your manners to show, Miss Herondale." Liam smirked slightly. "You'll have to be quite the lady at this competition, especially if we're going to be on mission, and I think it best you start practicing now." His voice was quiet, but chiding, like an elder's.

Seraphine's eyes bugged out a little with indignation, but she wisely held her tongue. Even she knew Liam had seniority over her, as she was not quite of age at 17, while at 19, he was. "Please, Mr. Carstairs, then. Might you grace me with a tour of this wonderful institute?" But she rolled her eyes as she spoke. She wouldn't submit so easily. She never did; it wasn't in her nature. But Seraphine could be a lady well enough, when it was required of her.

The smirk Liam wore grew wider as he witnessed her change in demeanor. Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope for her after all. He had worried she would be unable to act the part for the mission, but it seemed she could, if reminded. He sighed inwardly, realizing he would constantly have to tell her to mind her manners. But the possibilities of failure were numerous. Too numerous. She would have to learn to police herself or they would never complete the mission. He looked up at her and plastered his politest smile over his face. He didn't care if it looked fake, because of course it was.

"Of course, Miss Herondale. It would be my pleasure. May I take your suitcase?" Liam was sure a lot of the bravado Seraphine showed him was just an act, and he knew the competition was about more than just music, so he was determined to get Seraphine to reveal her softer nature. It would come in handy for the competition, as classical music players were held to high behavioral standards more befitting of an earlier time. Liam had been raised on older ideals, more befitting of the way things had been when his parents were young. So it could be said that he was quite the gentleman. But Seraphine? She was a spitfire. Liam worried they would never be able to get far enough into the competition to complete the mission. There was a lot of training to be done before either of them could be ready to perform.

Liam pulled Seraphine's suitcase gently from her grasp, his fingers brushing hers as he did. He wasn't sure, but her skin seemed warmer than average.

Maybe she's ill. He mused, and paused as a strange feeling passed through his soul. Worry. How odd. As Liam carried himself with a carefree presence, to worry about someone other than Kai or his family, was an unfamiliar feeling.

It's the mission I'm worried about. He told himself. I don't want to have to go alone.

With that, he straightened and strode out of the room, Seraphine following behind, for once, silent.

A/n: if the formatting is bad, let me know cause I'm posting this via Mobile. And sorry for the long break, work got busy and such, but thanks again for reading ! Leave a review, as always :) enjoy!


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